Coffee in moderation may cut stroke risk
19 September 2011Drinking three to four cups of coffee a day may reduce your risk of stroke, according to new research.
A large, international study of nearly half a million people found that drinking two cups of coffee reduced the relative risk of stroke by 14 percent and drinking three to four cups of coffee reduced the relative risk by 17 percent. The relative risk is the difference in risk between two groups in a study. This is different to a person’s lifetime risk of having a stroke (absolute risk). However, the results did not continue to show an associated lowered relative risk of stroke when people drank more than six cups of coffee a day.
The results showed a difference between men and women. For men, drinking three to four cups of coffee a day provided the most benefit against stroke, whereas for women, drinking just two cups of coffee provided them with optimum benefit. Any more than this and the risk of stroke started to increase, particularly for women.
The researchers suggest that antioxidants in coffee may protect against damage to blood vessels caused by low-density lipoprotein – often known as LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol. However, the studies in this review only looked at the association between coffee and stroke, not cause and effect. They conclude that moderate coffee consumption may be weakly associated with a reduced risk of stroke.
Dr Ryan Mehta, Clinical Project Director, Bupa Health and Wellbeing UK, commented: “The take away message from this study is moderation. The research suggests that there is an optimum level of coffee consumption, which differs between men and women. Any more than this and the benefit is lost and the risks start to increase.
“Exactly why this happens is not known. It may be because people who drink a lot of coffee, ie, six cups or more, also indulge in unhealthy lifestyle habits such as smoking or not exercising. Or there may be a point at which coffee begins to have a harmful effect on the body – we already know that coffee can increase blood pressure. However, of most interest are the differences between men and women’s risk of stroke and coffee consumption. More research is needed into how coffee acts on bodily processes if we hope to understand any benefits and risks associated with coffee.”
This study was a review of current research (a meta-analysis) on coffee and stroke risk. It included 11 prospective studies that followed people over a period of time, ranging from two years to over 30 years. There are some limitations to the studies included in this review that may have affected the results. Firstly, they all relied on people self-reporting how much coffee they drank, which may not have always been accurate. Secondly, none of the studies took into account the size of the cups, the strength or type of coffee.
A large, international study of nearly half a million people found that drinking two cups of coffee reduced the relative risk of stroke by 14 percent and drinking three to four cups of coffee reduced the relative risk by 17 percent. The relative risk is the difference in risk between two groups in a study. This is different to a person’s lifetime risk of having a stroke (absolute risk). However, the results did not continue to show an associated lowered relative risk of stroke when people drank more than six cups of coffee a day.
The results showed a difference between men and women. For men, drinking three to four cups of coffee a day provided the most benefit against stroke, whereas for women, drinking just two cups of coffee provided them with optimum benefit. Any more than this and the risk of stroke started to increase, particularly for women.
The researchers suggest that antioxidants in coffee may protect against damage to blood vessels caused by low-density lipoprotein – often known as LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol. However, the studies in this review only looked at the association between coffee and stroke, not cause and effect. They conclude that moderate coffee consumption may be weakly associated with a reduced risk of stroke.
Dr Ryan Mehta, Clinical Project Director, Bupa Health and Wellbeing UK, commented: “The take away message from this study is moderation. The research suggests that there is an optimum level of coffee consumption, which differs between men and women. Any more than this and the benefit is lost and the risks start to increase.
“Exactly why this happens is not known. It may be because people who drink a lot of coffee, ie, six cups or more, also indulge in unhealthy lifestyle habits such as smoking or not exercising. Or there may be a point at which coffee begins to have a harmful effect on the body – we already know that coffee can increase blood pressure. However, of most interest are the differences between men and women’s risk of stroke and coffee consumption. More research is needed into how coffee acts on bodily processes if we hope to understand any benefits and risks associated with coffee.”
This study was a review of current research (a meta-analysis) on coffee and stroke risk. It included 11 prospective studies that followed people over a period of time, ranging from two years to over 30 years. There are some limitations to the studies included in this review that may have affected the results. Firstly, they all relied on people self-reporting how much coffee they drank, which may not have always been accurate. Secondly, none of the studies took into account the size of the cups, the strength or type of coffee.
Key facts
- It’s estimated about 150,000 people have a stroke in the UK each year.
- Ischaemic stroke is the most common type of stroke. It occurs when the blood supply to your brain is blocked – usually by the build-up of fatty deposits in the blood vessels leading to your brain.
- Cholesterol is a type of fat (lipid) in your body. High levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) also known as ‘bad’ cholesterol can lead to atherosclerosis. This is a process in which fatty deposits build-up in blood vessels.
- You can help to reduce your risk of stroke by not smoking, reducing saturated fat and salt intake, increasing the amount of exercise you do and drinking alcohol in moderation.
No comments:
Post a Comment